Breitling Brings Iconic Twin Jet Navitimer Into Its Core Collection

October 22, 2026 MrWatchMaster 0 Comments

Two new hand-wound chronographs revisit the golden age of aviation and the pioneering spirit that took the Breitling Navitimer beyond Earth.

Few watches have travelled as far beyond their original purpose as the Breitling Navitimer. Introduced in 1952 as a precision instrument for pilots, its combination of chronograph and circular slide rule established it as one of the defining designs in aviation watchmaking. More than seven decades later, the Navitimer continues to evolve, drawing on a history shaped by the cockpit, the racetrack and even space.

Now, Breitling returns to the spirit of the 1960s with two new additions to its core collection: the Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 and the Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute. Both embrace manual winding, period-inspired detailing and the distinctive gold Twin Jet logo, bringing two important chapters in the Navitimer story into the contemporary collection.

An Icon Built For The Skies

When Willy Breitling developed the Navitimer, the ambition was clear: create a wristwatch that could do more than tell the time. Its circular slide rule enabled pilots to perform essential flight calculations, while the chronograph allowed elapsed time to be measured with the press of a pusher.

The result was a functional instrument whose intricate dial would become one of the most recognisable signatures in watchmaking. Yet the Navitimer’s story was never confined to aviation. Its combination of mechanical purpose and distinctive design attracted racing drivers, musicians and collectors, securing its place as a cultural icon in its own right.

The new releases return to this formative period. Their 41mm stainless-steel cases, manual-wind movements and historically inspired Twin Jet logos capture the character of the vintage Navitimer without simply reproducing the past.

From The Cockpit To Space

Few watches embody Breitling’s spirit of purposeful innovation quite like the Cosmonaute. Developed at the request of astronaut Scott Carpenter, the original model adapted the Navitimer for the demands of spaceflight, replacing the conventional 12-hour display with a 24-hour dial.

Carpenter wore the watch during his Mercury-Atlas 7 orbital mission on 24 May 1962, making the Cosmonaute the first Swiss wristwatch to travel into space. Its unusual display provided a practical way to distinguish day from night beyond Earth’s natural cycle, demonstrating how established watchmaking could be adapted to an entirely new environment.

The new Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute (above) carries that story forward. Its 41mm stainless-steel case houses Breitling Manufacture Caliber B02, a hand-wound chronograph movement developed exclusively for the Cosmonaute. The 24-hour display remains the defining feature, while a discreet date indication is integrated into the lower subdial, matching the dial colour to preserve visual balance.

The black dial, contrasting white chronograph counters and gold Twin Jet logo create a considered blend of vintage character and contemporary execution. Collectors can choose between a brown gradient calfskin-leather strap with folding clasp or a seven-row stainless-steel bracelet, whose combination of satin and polished finishes adds another layer of period-inspired detail.

Inside, Caliber B02 (above) delivers a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. A column-wheel chronograph with vertical clutch, it operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour and carries COSC chronometer certification.

The Return Of The Hand-Wound Chronograph

While the Cosmonaute looks towards the final frontier, the Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 draws inspiration from another side of the 1960s. The new model takes its cues from the era’s classic mechanical chronographs, including the Navitimers associated with racing drivers Jim Clark and Graham Hill, both of whom understood the value of the watch’s timing and calculation functions beyond the cockpit.

It also marks an important moment for the collection. The B09 is the first Navitimer (below) powered by Breitling Manufacture Caliber B09 to join the core collection, following previous limited and commemorative editions.

Available with either a black or blue dial, the watch adopts a reverse-panda configuration, pairing the coloured dial with contrasting white subdials. The familiar circular slide rule and Twin Jet logo remain firmly in place, while the absence of a date display gives the dial a cleaner, more balanced appearance.

Manual winding also contributes to the watch’s relatively slim proportions, reinforcing its connection to the original Navitimers of the period. At 41mm, the stainless-steel case offers a versatile contemporary size while retaining the visual character that made the vintage models so appealing.

The black-dial version is paired with a brown gradient calfskin strap, while the blue model receives a matching blue gradient strap. Both are available with a seven-row stainless-steel bracelet for a more integrated, instrument-like appearance.

Caliber B09 (above) brings modern manufacture watchmaking to the traditional hand-wound chronograph. With a column wheel, vertical clutch, approximately 70-hour power reserve and COSC certification, it combines established mechanical architecture with contemporary precision.

The Significance Of The Twin Jet

One of the most telling details shared by the two watches is their gold Twin Jet logo. Used by Breitling since 1957, the emblem first appeared on the Navitimer dial in 1965, becoming a defining element of the model’s visual identity.

Its presence on these new references is more than a nostalgic flourish. Set against the monochrome and reverse-panda dials, the gold logo reinforces their connection to the watches of the 1960s, when the Navitimer’s reputation was expanding well beyond its original audience of professional aviators.

That balance between historical reference and contemporary manufacture is central to the appeal of both models. Rather than relying on limited-edition status to establish their significance, Breitling is making these historically important interpretations permanent members of the Navitimer family.

A New Chapter For The Navitimer

The Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 and Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute share a common origin, but their personalities are distinct. The B09 celebrates the traditional mechanical chronograph through its reverse-panda dial, manual winding and restrained proportions. The Cosmonaute recalls a remarkable moment in human exploration, when a familiar aviation instrument was adapted for the unfamiliar conditions of space.

Together, they demonstrate why the Navitimer remains such a compelling proposition for collectors. Its design has endured because it was born from a practical purpose, yet it has proved adaptable enough to acquire meaning far beyond it.

By bringing both watches into the core collection, Breitling makes two significant expressions of its heritage part of the ongoing story of the Navitimer. The result is a pairing that looks back to the golden age of aviation and space exploration while keeping its focus firmly on modern watchmaking.

Technical Specifications

NAVITIMER B02 CHRONOGRAPH 41 COSMONAUTE

References: AB0230211B1X1 / AB0230211B1A1

MOVEMENT

Caliber: Breitling Manufacture Caliber B02
Movement: Mechanical, hand-wound
Power reserve: Approximately 70 hours
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz)
Chronograph: Column wheel, vertical clutch, 30-minute and 12-hour totalisers
Display: Hours, minutes, seconds and date
Certification: COSC-certified chronometer

CASE

Material: Stainless steel
Diameter: 41mm
Thickness: 13mm
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 metres)
Crystal: Cambered sapphire, glare-proofed on both sides
Caseback: Screwed stainless steel with sapphire crystal
Bezel: Bidirectional with circular slide rule

DIAL AND STRAP

Dial: Black with contrasting white chronograph counters and Twin Jet logo
Luminescence: Super-LumiNova on hands, numerals and indexes
Strap: Brown gradient calfskin leather with folding clasp, or seven-row stainless-steel bracelet

PRICE

Breitling Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute, leather strap, £7,950.00/bracelet, £8,150.00

NAVITIMER B09 CHRONOGRAPH 41

References: AB0950211B1X1 / AB0950211B1A1 (black dial); AB0950211C1X1 / AB0950211C1A1 (blue dial)